Vegetarian Eating in Cincinnati: Chili, Goetta, German Fare

Vegetarian eating in Cincinnati takes a few questions, because the city's best-known foods are built on meat: a spiced chili over spaghetti, a pork and oat breakfast and German sausages. There are meat-free options, but you have to ask. Here are the questions and a way to keep notes.

No dish is suitable by default, so ask the kitchen each time.

How do you manage vegetarian eating in Cincinnati?

Decide your rule and say it plainly. Some vegetarians avoid meat but accept fish or animal fat, and others avoid all animal products. Tell the server what you eat, and ask them to check with the cook, since a guess will not do.

The city's German heritage and its chili parlors shape many menus. Wikipedia says German-speaking immigrants arrived in large numbers, and that the city is also known for Cincinnati chili. Both traditions are meat-forward, so the sides and the vegetable plates are where you will start. That is not a reason to stay home: cooks here are used to questions, and many kitchens make a meatless plate when asked early. A small, clear request at the start of a meal usually goes further than a long explanation at the end.

Can you order a five-way as a vegetarian?

Sometimes. Wikipedia's article on the style says that some local bars serve lentil-based versions that can be ordered in ways, and some cafes offer a vegan three-way. A way is the Cincinnati term for a stack: spaghetti and chili is a two-way, adding cheese makes a three-way, and a five-way adds onions and beans.

Ask whether the sauce is made with meat, whether a vegetarian version exists and whether it is made with stock. Even a five-way built on a meatless sauce may include cheese made with animal rennet, which is a question for you to decide. Our chili guide describes the dish.

Is goetta vegetarian?

No. Goetta is made of ground meat and oats, according to Wikipedia, and it is fried in a pan that may also be used for other meats. Our goetta guide describes it. A vegetarian breakfast here means eggs, toast, potatoes and fruit, so ask whether the potatoes and the griddle are free of meat.

Be ready to ask about the grill. A griddle that cooks goetta, bacon and sausage also cooks your eggs unless you ask for a clean pan.

What about German fare on the menu?

Sausages and meat-heavy plates dominate, but German cooking also has potatoes, cabbage, dumplings, pretzels and rich sauces. These may seem meatless but are often cooked with lard, bacon or stock. Ask how each is made, and ask whether a dumpling or a sauce uses meat broth.

If a kitchen offers a vegetable plate, ask what is on it and how it is cooked. A plate of potatoes, cabbage and mustard can be a good meal when the pot is meat free. Ask before you order, and do not assume. Pretzels and bread may be meat free, but spreads and cheese dips can include other ingredients, so ask about those too. If the kitchen makes its own mustard or sauce, ask about it as well.

Which questions work best in a busy room?

Keep them short and specific. Rather than asking whether a dish is vegetarian, ask what is in it, what it is cooked in and what shares the pan. A specific question gets a specific answer, and it gives the cook something concrete to check. If the room is loud, type the dish name on your phone and show it to your server so that nothing is lost on the way to the kitchen.

How do you ask about stock and cross-contact?

Soups, rice, beans and gravies may be built on meat stock, so ask what is in the base. If a dish passes your rule, ask about the pan, the grill and the fryer, since shared surfaces can carry meat into a plant dish. If your rule is about belief, decide how much shared surfaces matter to you. If it is about allergy or medical need, say so clearly and let the kitchen decide what it can do.

Take the answer as information and never as a guarantee. A kitchen that checks before it replies is doing you a favor.

How do you keep vegetarian notes with Mosey?

Keep a record of what you are told. When you rate a dish in the Mosey app, write the reply beside it, for instance lentil chili, no meat stock, and add a tag and a photo of the menu line. Tag your dining companions too, so that they can rate the same plate and add their own notes.

Try a list called Meat-free around Cincinnati, and let a friend add to it through an invite link. By following people who eat as you do, you can see what they rated and saved. Remember that a tag reflects one rater's choice, so check each detail with the place. The ratings page explains rating by the dish.

Small kitchens benefit from Mosey's free listing, affordable tools and lack of hidden fees.

Where else can you read about Cincinnati?

Related reading: the Over-the-Rhine guide and the finding good food guide. See the Cincinnati page, the Ohio page and the US food guides.

Next time you order, open the Mosey app, jot down what you were told and rate the dish.